gloryunveiled

Take the Lord Out for Steak!

Ever notice how our conversations turn to eating? We reminisce about our favorite restaurants and laud our favorite foods. Taste is a beautiful gift the Lord has blessed humanity with. Beyond our five senses, God designed taste for grasping spiritual realities. O taste and see that the Lord is good! Isaiah envisions a grand feastContinue reading “Take the Lord Out for Steak!“

Isaiah’s Tragic Tears of Triumph

Uranium could be mined from coal. But it’s not. To extract its minuscule concentration out of coal is too expensive to be profitable. Gold is present in seawater, but at one fiftieth of an ounce per ton of seawater, it’s not cost-effective. More often than not, getting spiritual “nuggets” out of the Old Testament feelsContinue reading “Isaiah’s Tragic Tears of Triumph”

Isaiah’s Startling Sign and Wonder!

Isaiah has long been one of my favorite books of the Bible. I’ve had an explorer’s delight of discovering Jesus in several lengthy sections, such as chapters 6-12 and 53-56, but hadn’t studied the book as a whole to see Him. 66 chapters do make for a large time commitment! After many years, opportunity finallyContinue reading “Isaiah’s Startling Sign and Wonder!”

I Thirst for Hyssop!

When we think about the cross, we’re amazed by God’s love toward us wrath-deserving sinners, supremely grateful for His death paying for the forgiveness of our sins. And for all eternity our astonishment at His mercy and grace shown us at Calvary will enlarge. We think of the torn veil, which gives us unashamed accessContinue reading “I Thirst for Hyssop!”

King Jesus’ Royal Chariot on the Move Today

Witness looms large on the Church’s mind. Jesus’ last words before leaving earth were, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In some “tribes” of Christendom evangelism is paramount, signs and wonders in others, and with some works of justice and lovingContinue reading “King Jesus’ Royal Chariot on the Move Today”

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt. 7: Personal Reflections

Sitting in that Sunday service before Labor Day at Jacob’s Well in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, I had no idea the radical transformation awaiting me as I heard the Lord’s still, small voice, “Let Me pastor you through them.” I first thought “them” meant the pastors of this church, which He did, but more importantly, HeContinue reading “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt. 7: Personal Reflections”

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt 6: A Costly Dragnet

As human beings we’re an inquisitive bunch. We exhaust billions upon billions of dollars and man hours probing everything from the ocean depths to the far reaches of the universe. Why? Often times it’s simply to satisfy our insatiable curiosity to know what’s unknown. Of all the kingdom of heaven parables, the last one, theContinue reading “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt 6: A Costly Dragnet”

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt 5: Topped Treasure and a Sacrificial Seeker

Today’s Christianity boasts the finest experts in sin detection. Preachers, theologians and laymen alike have mastered the Law for diagnosing sin better than any health care professional with their X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans for diagnosing disease. These sin specialists hint at this beautiful, glorious, wonderful Jesus beyond their examination room, but don’t actually takeContinue reading “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt 5: Topped Treasure and a Sacrificial Seeker”

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt 4: Transforming Leaven

Listening to some churches you might think the kingdom is heaven is about counting nickels and noses, the “church ABCs”—attendance, buildings, cash. Jesus’ kingdom of heaven parables, however, unmask its true essence. They epitomize the kingdom’s most fundamental facets held in tension and balance. The first three parables speak of King Jesus at work amongContinue reading “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt 4: Transforming Leaven”

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt. 3: A Surprising Mustard Seed

Six parables. That’s all Jesus needed to demystify the kingdom of heaven, making recognizable its continuity from Genesis to Revelation and 2,000 years of bewildering Church history. Having laid the foundation that He Himself is the Sower of good seed in the world, He builds upon it another parable to reveal what else God isContinue reading “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…Pt. 3: A Surprising Mustard Seed”